Posts Tagged ‘Environment Victoria’

From Environment Victoria:

What is Green Action?

Green Action is a bold new movement to mobilise every single person in Victoria (all 5 million of us) to become actively involved in safeguarding our environment. It’s about each one of us taking actions to help the environment in our own special way. Actions that are meaningful to us as individuals—and remarkably powerful when they are multiplied by 5 million.

What will Green Action do?

As Kermit says, it’s not always easy being green. People are busy and taking actions for a greener future is not always at the top of the ‘to do’ list. Green Action makes it easier for people to take action to safeguard Victoria’s environment. Everyone who signs up to Green Action will receive a Green Action of the month. The Green Action of the Month will be different each month and will be focused on either actions you can take to green up your life, like buying smarter products that use less energy, or actions you can take to change the system like writing to your local MP about making critical changes in the way we govern our state.

Why 5 million?

Let’s face it. Safeguarding the environment has been on the front pages for a while. It’s one of the biggest issues we face. Scientists can’t solve it alone. Neither can individuals. Or even a bunch of hard working environmentalists. It’s going to take all of us. Sure, getting everyone to join together on Green Action won’t be easy. But 5 million people can get our representatives hopping. Get businesses bending over backwards to make green profitable and productive. Get the whole country to pay attention. Maybe even the world.

What will be the impact?

The hardest part about doing something good for the environment is that the results aren’t always immediately visible. But if everybody gets in on Green Action, before long, we’ll start to feel the cumulative effects of our actions. And we’ll start to see the incredible results of those actions in the environment around us too. Just imagine the impact if 5 million people in the same month ask their financial institution about their sustainability credentials or wrote to their MP about climate change. Imagine if 5 million people went to their local Bunnings hardware store in the same month and ordered a worm farm or bought energy saving lights.

When 5 million people do something, it gets noticed.

Check out the Green Action Stories posted by some of the people who have joined the Green Action Movement. The stories cover wide range of actions – people doing what they can wherever they are – and show that Green Action is possible in all kinds of ways. -KA

Our next Sustainability Drinks event is on Wednesday 7th July 2010. Kelly O’Shanassy, Chief Executive Officer of Environment Victoria will be our guest speaker in July. Environment Victoria is one of Australia’s leading independent environment groups and is spearheading a number of campaigns to get massive positive change for our environment leading up to the 2010 state and federal elections. Kelly will give you an insight to the election, Environment Victoria’s election campaigns and tactics and what you can do, in the year when your actions count the most!

We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday the 7th July from 6 – 8pm.

Please note that it is essential to RSVP every month. Due to the ever increasing popularity of the event, it may not be possible to accommodate people who do not RSVP. This is not a sponsored event; i.e. you buy your own drinks, as we choose to come together in the spirit of a shared interest.

Location: Melbourne Sustainability Drinks is held at Tjanabi, in Federation Square. Tjanabi sources local and native produce and supplies and is involved in organic waste pilot projects and water minimisation schemes with the aim of being carbon neutral. Tjanabi supports local initiatives such as Land-care and the Unity Foundation, seeking to educate on regional and modernised indigenous cuisines.

I recently received this email below from Environment Victoria about the ever-important issue of consumption at Christmas time. Please read on to find out more about the resources that they’ve put together.

Environment Victoria would like to call on all Victorians to reconsider the way they consume at this time of year. To assist folks in the community on their journey to sustainability, Environment Victoria has developed an online Sustainable Festive Season Guide. This guide provides information and solutions to the problems of unsustainable consumption and waste that typically occurs over the festive season. To download a copy of the guide go to http://www.envict.org.au/file/EV008_FestiveGuide_Final.pdf.

Another great way you can reduce consumption is by giving a virtual green gift. Environment Victoria has developed a great range of GIFTS THAT GIVES BACK. A gift purchased through the GIFTS THAT GIVE BACK range is a tax-deductible donation. To order gifts for your friends and family today go to http://www.envict.org.au/inform.php?menu=3&submenu=1699&item=1701.

This Press Release (below) from Environment Victoria’s website refers to people in the cities – including Melbourne – responsibilities to protect the river red gum forests. Read the Press Release below for more information.

Cities can play a part in saving river red gum forests Thursday July 19, 2007: Environment Victoria today called on Melbourne, Bendigo and Ballarat to play a part in restoring Victorias mighty river red gum forests.

â€œMelbourne, Bendigo and Ballarat could have a big role to play in saving Victorias red gum forests. If those cities take water from the Goulburn they have an obligation to make sure the river is healthy,” said Dr Paul Sinclair Healthy Rivers Campaign Director.Read the rest of this entry »

Sustainability Street Carlton have been running workshops for the local community for most of this year. The topics have been as varied as Sustainability for Renters, Local Purchasing and Green Cleaning. The next workshop is Green Advocacy.

Louise Morris from Environment Victoria is running the workshop which will deal with ideas such as, constructive activism, finding the right information, how to focus your efforts, different organisations that can provide assistance, how to get the best results from your effort. There will also be time for all the questions which people may have.

Carlton Sustainability Street would like to extend an invitation to all Sustainability Streets and individuals who may be interested in attending this workshop.

Environment Victoria’s Zero Waste Campaign aims to to raise the awareness of waste issues in the broader community and to advocate for better policy on waste and resource-use. Their website has been recently updated and lists the multitude of ways people can become more involved in the Zero Waste Campaign.

Actions include: * Responding to e-bulletins when they are posted. * Applying pressure to Ministers of Parliament and policy-makers on urgent issues, which will help to help sway decisions. * Become involved in some of the online campaign strategies that will be developed over the coming months. * Attend public meetings on Zero Waste in your area.